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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — to play on
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — in a road
  7. swing — music
  8. game — a match
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. game — wild animals
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com